Water Babies Splashathon raises €90,000 for Children's Health Foundation
Thursday, June 8th, Carol McNally, Jean Morgan, Aideen McGinn from Water Babies, Ireland’s leading baby and toddler swim school, payed a visit to our head office to present the cheque of €90,000 to Hugh Kane, Interim CEO of Children’s Health Foundation, supporting Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly.
At Water Babies classes across the country, children completed a sponsored swimming challenge suitable for their age and ability, dressed up as their favourite superhero.
This incredible amount was raised by thousands of little swimmers and their families across Ireland, who came together to raise vital funds to support sick children and their families in Children’s Health Ireland’s hospitals and urgent care centres – from funding vital life-saving equipment and providing essential patient and parental supports to making ground-breaking, paediatric research possible.’
Also pictured, is Water Babies Splashathon’s top fundraiser, Daisy Hughes (20 months) with her Mum Katherine Keane and Dad Johnathon Hughes. The family raised €2,143.10 and were presented with a trip to Centre Parcs in Longford, in appreciation of their amazing fundraising achievement.
About Daisy Hughes
Daisy Hughes is 20 months old, and attends Water Babies at St. Gabriel’s in Limerick. She was born in October 2021, at 23 weeks gestation, weighing just one pound. She spent 6 months in hospital in the Coombe & Crumlin hospital, Dublin. She has fought through so many battles. She was resuscitated, had bowel surgery twice, necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) twice, Sepsis twice, two eye surgeries, lung failure, heart failure and brain bleed. And despite all of her health issues, she is the happiest, most energetic, amazing little girl. She is superhuman and loves swimming with Yvonne, her Water Babies teacher.
Carol Mc Nally, Water Babies Ireland, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to raise €90,000 through Water Babies’ Splashathon this year – our little swimmers and their families have been tremendous fundraisers. We are so proud to support Children’s Health Foundation with this year’s Splashathon and we’re very pleased to have raised over €215,000 for children’s charities since Water Babies launched in Ireland 14 years ago.
Many little Water Babies including Daisy Hughes, have spent time in Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly, and are thriving now at their Water Babies classes, so we truly appreciate all of the great work that they do”.
Hugh Kane, Interim CEO at Children’s Health Foundation, said, “We are so grateful to Water Babies and their clients for their incredible fundraising. A very special thank you to all the little superheroes and their families who took part in the Splashathon swim challenge to support sick children and their families at Children’s Health Ireland hospitals and urgent care centres at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly. With the continued kindness and generosity of partners like Water Babies, we will continue our vital work and to support families, friends and patients across Ireland on every step of their treatment journey – today, tomorrow and in the future. Thank you so much!”.
We cannot thank Water Babies enough for their incredible generosity, kindness and support.
If you would like to find out more about how you can support sick children and their families in Children’s Health Ireland, simply visit www.childrenshealth.ie or call 01 709 1700.